Bob Gordon’s 1979 postseason enters into Game 2 of the World Series. –TN
Baltimore hosts game 2 of the series after their extra inning 4-3 win yesterday. John Candelaria (Grade BZ) takes on the Birds Steve Stone (Grade C). The Pirates send out essentially the same line up – the left hand hitting Ed Ott takes Steve Nicosia’s spot behind the plate. The O’s have loaded their line up with rightys – Roenicke taking center for Bumbry (whose name I never type right the first time anyway) and Ayala playing left field.
Stone looks tough in the first. He strikes out Moreno, Parker and Stargell. Foli lit him up for a double to left center, but the O’s come up with no damage done. The O’s first is quiet as well. Singleton walks with two down, but Eddie – Eddie grounds back to Candelaria and we go to the second. After Robinson skies to Ayala in left, Madlock draws on base on balls. Ott drills Stone’s 0-1 pitch to left and Madlock slides into 3rd ahead of Ayala’s throw. (Benny can hit the long ball, but he is not so fleet of foot in the field…) Garner singles over Garcia’s head and in to left field for a 1-0 Bucco lead. Ott stops at second. Candelaria coming to the plate. In Game 2 of the LCS, he doubled in a run in an obvious bunt situation, so let’s see what Chuck has him do here. He bunts threw three fastballs and takes a seat on the bench. Four K’s for Stone. Moreno chops on to DeCinces who goes to Dauer at second for the force and the O’s come to bat looking for one run to tie it. Ayala drills one to deep right center. It is off the wall and Parker gets it back to the infield with Ayala chugging safely in to second. DeCinces pulls a ground ball to Madlock – checks the runner – to Stargell one out. Dauer – who has been clutch – but this time gets a pop up to short. Two out and Dempsey, then the pitcher. Chuck elects to pitch to Rick. And Dempsey lines a solid single to left. Robinson up with it. Ayala barreling (?) home – Ripken not pining his hopes on a Stone base hit. I remember Curt Gowdy saying that Willie McCovey runs well, he just spends too much time in the same space. But I digress. Robinson’s throw is in time, Ott with the tag and the Bucs dodge a bullet.
Bucs with momentum coming to the plate in the 3rd. Foli hits a roller down the 3rd base line. DeCinces gloves it and drops it before he can get the throw off. E5. Parker walks on four pitches and Ray Miller is out to talk to Stone. They settle on a restaurant for the evening and Stone faces Stargell. Willie hits one a mile high to Ayala and one down. Robinson rolls a grounder to short. Garcia to Dauer for one, over to first, not in time. Foli takes third. Now Madlock. Tripled in 3 AB yesterday, walked here in the second. Ground ball to Garcia, to Dauer at second – inning over. The O’s go in order (Candelaria stealing an 8 from Stone) in their half of the third. The Bucs make more noise in the fourth. Garner singles to Ayala in left with one out. He takes off for second and is in ahead of the throw. Candelaria around to bunt on the 0-1. The bunt is down the first base line. The O’s have the rotation play on. Murray throws to third – Scrap Iron Garner safe at third! Runners at the corners, just one out. Miller out to talk to Stone. I think he just told him they got a better table at the restaurant using Palmer’s name! Whatever he said, worked. Stone fanned Moreno and got Foli – who had doubled and reached on an error – to fly to Roenicke in center. O’s fourth: Singleton walks to lead it off. Now Murray, crowd chanting loudly. Ground ball towards right. Garner gets to it. Fires to Foli, one, over to Stargell, two! Now Ayala, he doubled in the second and drills a single over Foli for a two out baserunner. DeCinces grounds one to Garner. He flips to Foli covering at second and the O’s are done in the fourth. We go to the 5th, 1-0 Pirates.
Stone walks Parker to start the inning. Parker takes off for second and is in easily – two stolen bases in two innings for Pittsburgh. Perhaps they have Stone’s move down. Stargell with a chance for a RBI – foul pop, Dempsey tosses the mask off and one down in the inning. Now Robinson. Just 1-6 in this series after hitting 364 in the LCS. Robinson singles in to right field and the Cobra roars home 2-0 Pittsburgh. Now Madlock. Mad Dog nails a line drive Singleton’s way. That one drops in and Robinson is heading for third. Singleton’s throw – Garcia doesn’t cut it off – safe! Safe at third and Madlock hustles in to second. Up steps Ott. And Ed singles to left center for his second hit of the day. Roenicke over for it. Robinson scores. Madlock rounds third and is heading home. Roenicke’s throw is up the line. 4-0 Pirates and Ott is in at second on the throw home. Stone gets Garner to fly to left and Candelaria on another foul pop to Dempsey. After Dauer grounded to second, Dempsey grounded to Foli. Foli’s throw was in the dirt and Stargell couldn’t handle it. Tie run on first courtesy of Foli’s error. Lee May comes in to pinch hit for Stone. He bounces on to Candelaria who fires to Foli at second. Out at second, but May is at first on the fielder’s choice. Garcia pops to third and the O’s fail to close the gap. Weaver calls on Sammy Stewart to keep things close. Stewart (Grade CYW), was 2-1 with a 4.88 ERA out of the bullpen for Earl during the year. Moreno singles to left and is off on the first pitch. Safe! Three steals in as many innings. Stewart gets Foli to sky to left, and fans Parker. Up comes Stargell. Stewart elects to pitch to him and Stargell makes him pay. Willie singles over second and Moreno scores easily, 5-0 Pittsburgh. Robinson strikes out to end the 6th. The Orioles go quietly in their half. Candelaria gets a 1-2-3 inning with 2 K’s – he has 4 on the day and ahs allowed only 3 hits! Stewart gets the Bucs in order in the 7th. O’s 7th. They look refreshed after the stretch and John Denver’s “Thank God I’m a Country Boy”. Ayala to the dish. 2-2 today, single, double (and two thirds of the O’s hits). Candelaria deals. There’s a drive – let’s see how far it goes…. That is long gone to right field and Ayala si trying to keep the Birds in this one by himself. They still trail 5-1. DeCinces fouls to Ott for the first out. Dauer walks bringing up Dempsey. Rick fans and Weaver goes to the bench for Crowley. Terry hit a huge 2R PH double yesterday in the 7thto tie the game up. He swings at the pitch and grounds to Madlock. Madlock throws to Garner for the last out of the inning.
Stanhouse takes the hill for the Orioles. John Milner will hit for Candelaria. Fine outing for John (Candelaria, that is), 1ER in 7 innings, 4 hits, 3 walks and 5 strikeouts. The Hammer rips one to right center. It one hops the wall and Milner cruises in to second with a leadoff double. Earl can be seen lighting his first of the inning. Full Pack faces Moreno – who singled and scored in his last at bat. Omar flies to the track in right. Milner tags and beats Singleton’s throw in to third. O’s move the infield in. Foli hits a grounder to Garcia. Kiko is coming home with it to nail Milner. Dempsey makes the tag, but the ball comes out of his mitt. The Hammer might have kicked it out. No matter – 6-1, Pittsburgh. Foli is safe at first on the Dempsey error. Parker flies to left for the second out and the O’s should have been out of the inning. Now Stargell. The pitch, a drive to right center and that is way out of here. 8-1 Pittsburgh courtesy of 3 unearned runs. The Bucs send Jackson (Grade B*) to start the 8th. He gets the first two batters and now Singleton. Ken pounds one to right for a two out single. Now Eddie and the O’s faithful have not given up. Eddie strides in to the pitch and delivers a base hit to right…Singleton takes third. Now Ayala, just a triple short of the cycle and 3-3. Benny drills his fourth hit of the day to right field and Murray races to third. 8-2 and DeCinces at the plate. Doug grounds to Garner who forces Ayala at second.
Tim Stoddard pitches the 9th for the O’s. He walks Garner with two out, but fans Lacy – pinch hitting for Jackson. The O’s need 6 to tie. And they face Kent Tekulve (Grade B*YZ). Dauer grounds to Foli for the first out. Lowenstein to bat for Dempsey. John hit 333 in the LCS and was 1-5 yesterday. He walks here and steals second. It could have gone as defensive indifference, but the official scorer always liked Lowenstein (and wanted to make up for all the years the guy was stuck in Cleveland.). Now Pat Kelly will bat for the pitcher. Tekulve’s pitch catches a bit too much of the plate. Moreno is on his horse, but runs out of room. Home run Kelly and its 6-4. Garcia to bat. Soft line drive to short. Foli leaping, base hit. Now Tanner out to talk to Tekulve. No one heating up in the Buc pen. Roenicke the batter, he hit 39 round trippers in the regular season and three in the LCS. Tekulve keeps the ball down in the zone and fans him. Now Singleton – representing the tie run. First chace to hit left handed today. Murray on deck. The pitch – a drive to right. It has a chance, Parker back, to the waalll, and make the catch. The series is all even at two. Game 3 will pit Dennis Martinez (Grade BZ) against Bruce Kison (Grade CYZ).
